Triple-bill kicks off Espiritu Cup today

Defending champion Spring Cooking Oil goes up against Homer-Mercado Builders today at the start of the fourth Danny Espiritu Open Invitational Cup basketball tournament at the Makati Coliseum.

Owned by national shooting champion Nathaniel "Tac" Padilla, the multi-titled Spring cagers are slightly favored over Homer Go and Jojo Mercado’s Builders in the 2:30 p.m. contest.

The other opening matches pit the Pasay team of Mayor Peewee Trinidad and Atty. Tina Bernabe Carvajal against Mayor Freddie Tinga’s Forward Taguig at 1 p.m. and Hartman’s Siegle co-owned by Mike Ganglani, Anthony Castelo and Danny Siegle against GP Maryson-Army of George Palaran and Gen. Dionisio Santiago at 4 p.m.

Lending prestige to the cagefest is the participation of Cebu team M. Lhuillier Pawnshop of Michelle Lhuillier and coach Eddie Ibañez’s ML-Kuwarta Padala.